Adele Gale, my first Ashtanga Yoga teacher, is the former owner and director of Atlanta Yoga in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been practicing yoga since 1981. In 1992 she had the good fortune to become friends with Norman Allen, one of the first three western practitioners of the Astanga form. Norman invited Adele to practice with him, introducing her not only to the practice of Astanga Vinyasa, but also reinforcing her love of the textual history and philosophy of yoga. Since then, Adele has been a dedicated student and practitioner of Astanga. She has worked extensively with David Swenson, Ranjani Cobo, and Rodney Yee, and credits many others for having helped her develop her practice. Adele currently lives in Newcastle, Maine with her three greatest teachers -- husband David Fields and their two children, Tanner and Tess. It was Adele who first asked me to teach for her.